Questionable Sunrise
by AsthmaticVampire
Summary: Shortly before Bella and Edward get married, and Alice has a disturbing vision. The Volturi are planning to check on Bella during the wedding. Even after their plans change, the vision of the future suddenly disappears. Can they survive this new struggle?
1. Preface

Preface, Questionable Sunrise

From the moment he saved my life during that fateful night in Port Angeles, I knew I could never again part from Edward if I were to remain whole and sane. Our love, so reciprocal and defined was like none I had ever read about in Austen, Bronte, or Shakespeare and we would remain together forever, in every sense of the word.

When he left me last year, in the midst of my budding, yet concrete love for him, I felt I would surely die. Yet I survived only to be reunited with my Edward. The love we shared had only grown stronger in our equivocally unwanted separation. After all that had happened which may have torn us apart or taken us from each other forever.

I was prepared to give myself to him in the ways which meant the world to us both; I was prepared to give my love, body and life to him. Today is August 12th, and tomorrow, I, Isabella Swan, will become Mrs. Edward Cullen – wife and vampire.

Yet…fate had once again yearned to challenge our love…


	2. Chapter 1  A Change in Plans

Chapter 1 - A Change of Plans

"Bella!"

The voice was quiet, yet exasperated to the point of a shout. Alice was starting to lose her patience with me. I was in the middle of my final fitting for the wedding dress which Alice had custom created for me. It was beautiful, yet I fidgeted as she adjusted the hem of the dress and sighed exasperatedly at how long this was taking.

"Hold still or I'll have Edward come in and restrain you. I cannot accomplish anything when you move like a leaf in the breeze!"

I continued to fidget and glowered at her. "I thought Edward wasn't allowed to look at me in the dress until tomorrow…" My voice dripped with mirthful sarcasm. Not that I minded the idea of him entering the room. The reason for my fidgeting was indeed caused by my yearning to be with Edward. Alice has been keeping me captive for three hours now, making numerous adjustments to my dress. Now she retorted with exasperated amusement,

"If you hold still well be done in two minutes," I groaned inwardly, yet stood as still as I could. She snorted a sound which from her sounded melodious. True to her word, Alice finished within two minutes with a flourish and stepped back gracefully to admire her handy work. No longer surprised by the abilities of my Vampire family, I appreciated, yet was not shocked by seeing the perfect dress looking even more spectacular.

"Thank you, Alice" I breathed. "Its beautiful," It reminded me painfully of the fact that I looked so plain in the dress – more so than ever – and I cringed at how, even in the dress which was more stunning than any I had ever seen, I would still look terribly out of place next my beloved Edward, who resembled some forgotten God of beauty.

Alice seemed to guess what my expression implied and places a gentle hand on my arm. She smiled warmly and simply said "He loves you and that is enough to make anyone realize he thinks you're the most beautiful girl in his eyes,"

I smiled back at her in the mirror and whispered, "Thanks," Alice unfastened the dress and pulled me off the stool I had occupied for the last three hours. She pulled another dress from her closet. This dress was for the rehearsal dinner – couture (what else from Alice?) – and I slipped into it. I had insisted on stylish flats instead of heals – I was still a clumsy mortal who required less than a pair of treacherous heals to break my neck.

"Are you ready?" asked Alice, after I stepped into my delicate shoes. "Yes. As ready as I'll ever be," I replied and we exited the room together. Edward was waiting, standing nonchalantly against the frame of the door to Alice's room, a look of sheer happiness and love spreading through his features at the sight of me. He pulled me towards him, his hands at the small of my back and his head buried in my curled tresses. He inhaled deeply and whispered, for none but me to hear, "You are so beautiful, Bella."

I all but melted at his touch, pressing myself to his chilled torso and he moved his head to kiss me. There was no chance for Edward's expected pull out of the kiss as Alice cleared her throat politely and remarked "You're smudging Bella's make up, Edward. And, unless you want to be late to the rehearsal dinner, I think the kissing should cease, no matter how heart warming the display of affection may be," Edward scowled at his sister, yet moved away from me, keeping his right arm closely wrapped around my waist.

We moved down the stairs and stepped into the living room where the rest of the Cullen family was assembled, conversing quietly. Esme was the first to notice our arrival and her heartwarming smile towards Edward and myself made me happier than ever to join Edward and his loving family. The others turned their gazes toward us, smiles on all their faces, even Rosalie, who had come to love me as a sister in the weeks leading up to the wedding. She has accepted my decision, and refused to further pretend to dislike me simply because I decided for a life which she would not have chosen.

"So, the bride and groom to be seem ready for the rehearsal dinner. We should get going," said Carlisle. As a collective whole we moved towards the door, all of us going towards the Mercedes and the Volvo. Edward opened the passenger door for me, closed it softly, and walked swiftly towards the driver's side. Alice and Jasper slid gracefully into the back seat and the engine came to soft purr. We drove down the three mile lane towards the main road behind Carlisle's Mercedes and within five minutes arrived at the Pavilion where both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding were being held.

Before we entered the Pavilion, Edward pulled me aside and looked into my face, a look of slight apprehension on his face. "I want to warn you Bella. I sent an invitation to Jacob. I felt obligated to thank him and give him the opportunity to see you get married. I know I would have wanted to be there if you had chosen him instead of me. Truly Bella, I hope you understand."

I was silent for a moment, taking in this information and then I turned my face slightly to look Edward into the eyes. "I'm glad you did it, Edward. I half expected you to do it in any case. It's in your nature, and it's such a large part of why I love you so much." Edward simply smiled heartwarmingly at me and we turned in unison to step into the Pavilion. Alice and Jasper walked up beside us. Bubbling with excitement, Alice turned to look at me and said, "I am so happy Edward found you Bella. You've made our family whole, and you've made my brother a whole man again. You truly are like my sister and ---"

Alice's eyes went blank and she slumped back. Jasper caught her in his strong arms and simultaneously called for Carlisle, who turned on the spot and sprinted towards where we stood, flanked by Rosalie, Emmett, and Esme, all of whom had identical, worried expressions plastered on their flawless faces. They stopped next to Carlisle just as Alice reverted back to alertness, a look of horror spreading across her visage. She began to shake her head minutely, eyes wide and pleading, looking at me.

"Alice, what the hell is going on?" demanded Edward, an urgency in his voice. She turned to look at him and simply breathed "They're coming." Edward glanced at me, and then at Carlisle, who looked just as shocked as the rest of the family. "The Volturi," was all I managed to say, and Alice nodded. "When?" "Tomorrow, during the wedding. They're coming to check on the situation. The wedding will turn to…bloodshed because you're still human. They will not restrain themselves from killing the ten other humans in the room."

For a slight moment I felt panic commencing its assault on my system, yet a cool feeling of calm suddenly, irrationally, ran down my spine.

"Well, we'll just have to pull the rug out from under them and have the wedding tonight. It won't be that different, we can give everyone a surprise, and Alice can just go get my dress quickly. We still have twenty minutes until the rehearsal starts so if we start now we can pull it off. That way, when the Volturi show up, there won't be any humans, no one has to die, and Edward can bite me while they're there."

Every member of the Cullen's stared at me. I simply shrugged and said "It's a reasonable solution. Please, I know this is my fault and I just want to have the best outcome. This way we all win, and my parents will have something to remember,"

The silence dragged on for what seemed like forever, and then Carlisle cleared his throat. "I think Bella is completely right. This is the best solution for all and if we left it to fate it would end in a fight…I cannot have that happen." Everyone nodded, even Edward who had pulled me tightly towards him, and Alice took the keys to the Volvo from Edward. I was surprised that my proposal was met with no opposition. It puzzled me that my strangely rational thinking had truly been such an appropriate solution that no one, not even Edward, usually so hot headed and irrational when it came to my own safety, had nothing to remark other than agreement. Again, Alice's sharpened perception of my facial expressions made it seem as if I had wondered all this aloud as she said,

"I'll be back in five with all the dresses and tuxedos. Bella, you're beginning to think like a Cullen more and more. Such a cool, collected answer. I am truly happy you're joining our family," She smiled and stepped into the car, speeding off into the gathering dark. Her calm, in the face of my own surprised me for one reason or another. It was such a strange situation to have an answer ready. Not to break out into hysterics or a shaky sweat...it made the calm, collected (yet alert) demeanors of my family bizzare to my eyes.

"Well, danger certainly finds all possible ways to manifest itself in your presence, love," said Edward. He sighed and kissed me. "Let's get ready to surprise everyone. There are dressing rooms at the entrance and we can get ready there." Edward pulled me by my hand and we walked towards the entrance of the Pavilion. We walked through the door and sat on a couch in the fore room of the dressing rooms. I sat on Edward's lap and leaned my head against his chest. "I love you, Edward. Getting married to you…I know it isn't what I wanted in the beginning, but now with danger once again starring me in the face, I truly realize I want to be married to you as much as I want to spend a literal eternity with you," I moved my head to look him deeply into his ocher eyes.

I had tears in my eyes, tears of love, and looking at him I saw a look in his dazzling eyes, which, if I didn't know any better, was the equivalent of crying to a Vampire. He moved his hands to my face and stroked his cold, marble fingers gently across my cheeks. He kissed me deeply, one hand cupping my face, the other pulling me closer to him. I moved my own hands to the back of his head, threading my fingers through his hair and pulling his lips deeper to mine. He pulled out of the kiss, a look of love and longing on his face and he whispered "Ready to get married?" as Alice knocked on the door, entering with my dress and Edward's tuxedo on her arms. "Yes. You can't imagine how ready I am to become Mrs. Edward Anthony Masen Cullen."

**Next chapter may take a while. I'm a busy, busy IB student and therefore have a lot to do. Also, I have family coming for Thanksgiving. But I'll try to keep this story updated. It's my first story on here, and I'm pretty excited to see general reception of my writing style, so reviews are very welcome :) I'm thinking of having about eight to ten chapters for this story, but I'm open to more if it goes well. Also, if it goes well I'm already prepared with a topic for a sequel. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Thank you to everyone that reviews for my story. AsthmaticVampire Out.**


	3. Chapter 2 The Wedding

Chapter 2 - The Wedding

Another knock on the door ten minutes later brought a confused looking Charlie into the dressing room. I was already in my wedding dress, Alice, Rosalie, and Esme flanking behind me in bridesmaid dresses. Carlisle led Charlie into the room and said "We require your aisle walking services a day earlier, Chief Swan. An impetuous move by the young couple in love, who are angling for a surprise wedding, has called for this change in plans,"

Charlie looked as if he was going to pull a purple, but then he just threw his head back and laughed. He laughed until there were tears in his eyes and he stepped forward to pull me into a gut wrenching hug. Internally I felt glad that I was giving him such happiness, knowing I would never see him again after tonight.

"I knew something of the sort would happen. Never a quiet moment with you two is there?" asked Charlie mirthfully, releasing me from his grip and stepping aside to gaze at me. In the weeks leading up to the wedding Charlie had conveyed a strange composure, and at times his face expressed exactly what he suspected and what I knew – that I was leaving forever, and that it would be soon.

I don't know how he realized this, especially since I avoided the statement each time he voiced his conviction, yet deep down he knew and he seemed…at peace with the idea. Not only had he forgiven Edward upon the announcement of our engagement, but he also saw how happy I was. This, surely, seemed to account for his demeanor at the prospect of my permanent departure. I smiled at Charlie, placing all unexpressed emotions into my eyes to tell Charlie without words how much I loved him, as was our mutually preferred method of expressing our emotions to one another. He smiled back at me more radiantly and once again the pure happiness on his face made him look fifteen years younger.

"So, you don't object to walking Bella down the aisle early?" inquired Edward, who was smiling at Charlie's reaction to our silent communication, knowing how special this moment was to me, and knowing what we were saying to each other in our silence.

"I wouldn't pass it up for the world, Edward. I want to give my girl everything she could want," Charlie grinned and bowed, offering me his arm. I laughed and hooked elbows with my father. Edward, accompanied by Jasper, his best man for the wedding, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Carlisle left the room to sneak into the chapel of the Pavilion and to inform the ushers that the guests were to enter the congregation in five minutes. I stayed alone in the dressing room with Charlie, and when we heard the guests move into the large room were the wedding would be held I moved out into the foyer with Charlie at my side.

The guests most likely had no clue at this point. The men were in suits but that was normal for a dress rehearsal, as were the dresses the women wore, yet they would truly realize a surprise wedding was in progress when the wedding march started and I walked into the chapel in my wedding gown. _Très__ grand surprise, n'est pas?_ I thought to myself.

I was not nervous. I stood by the door with Charlie, and he threw sidelong glances at me, the question clearly etched upon his weathered face. I turned to my father and smiled. "Are you anxious, Bells? I know this will make you happy, and I don't think you're nervous, but I just want to make sure. No second thoughts. Are you one hundred percent sure you want to marry him now? There is no question of the love you share, but to be sure you wish to commit to marriage is important."

"No, dad. I'm not anxious. I'm excited at the prospect of my new life, and I'm very happy. I am content beyond belief and I am ready. There is no doubt about that."

Charlie simply grinned at me and at that moment the doors of the chapel burst open in a symmetrical, graceful arc in time with the commencement of the wedding march. I almost stopped in my tracks as I recognized the song. It was unconventional, even for an alternative wedding march, but tears came to my eyes as I heard our song.

The main theme of Clair de Lune was playing as Charlie walked me down the aisle, the beauty of the soft, enchanting song causing one lone tear to roll down my cheek. All I could see was Edward, standing at the end of the long, white aisle, as he glowed with calm and happiness. I had a slight flicker of wonder at his calm with the news we had in the back of our heads, but then I realized that nothing was strong enough to destroy the meaning of this occasion.

Through my preoccupation I had slightly perceived the collective intake of air at the surprise the twelve assembled people had received. I looked quickly at my mother, and saw she had glittering tears in her eyes and smiled warmly at me. Then my eyes went back to Edward, standing magnificently at the altar, his marble hands folded gracefully in front of him, a slow smile spreading to all corners of his flawless face.

As the song neared its end Charlie and I reached the altar and my father handed me to Edward, slightly gripping my arm, and he whispered "I know I don't have to ask you to take of her and to love her, but I will anyways. Take care of her, Edward. We both know how breakable she is. And love her. Love her every second of every day, for eternity."

Edward nodded solemnly and took me by the hands as Charlie walked down the collection of steps to take his seat next to Renee and Phil. We stepped up to the altar, behind which the priest stood and the traditional ceremony commenced.  
"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the face of this company, to join together Edward and Isabella in matrimony; which is an honourable and solemn estate and therefore is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and soberly. Into this estate these two persons present come now to be joined. If any one can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

As the priest said this I whipped my head toward the congregation and saw with a relief I could perceive in my stomach, that Jacob, nor any of the La Push boys were present here today. Edward noticed my distraction and squeezed my hand reassuringly, drawing my attention back to the ceremony at hand.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" asked the priest

Both Charlie and Renee stood to say "We do" and they resumed their seats, their faces glowing with happiness. I threw them both a flashed grin and turned to look into Edward's eyes.  
The priest turned to Edward and said "Edward, do you take Isabella for your lawful wedded wife, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?"

Edward squeezed my hands again and whispered "I do."

The priest then turned to me and uttered "Isabella, do you take Edward for your lawful wedded husband, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?  
I looked at Edward, gazed into his swirling ocher eyes, and with conviction befitting a saint I said "I do."

"Edward and Isabella have chosen to say their own vows to one another at this time," said the priest raising his hands in a symbol of permission and a request for utter silence in the presence of a declaration of undying love.

"Bella, I spent a lot of sleepless nights thinking of how I could tell you in my own words how much I truly love you, and cannot live without you. Nothing I pondered befitted the sentiment of the love I feel for you. It is such an enigma to me, how I could possibly deserve to live my life at your side, to have your love for myself. You are an angel, come to fill the void in my life, the force behind why I am a whole man once again. I love you as I have never loved anyone, and I will always love you in that way, until the end of time,"

Edwards gaze has he finished, was so full of love and adoration that my heart almost split into pieces from the force I felt surge through me, a force like nothing I had ever felt. I knew that this must be the physical manifestation of the purity of true love and it brought tears to my eyes as I spoke my own vows.

"Edward, I never truly lived life until the day I met you. You added color and warmth to my life and got a part of my soul forever, one that only you were meant to have. I know I am meant to love you, and to be with you always because I cannot bear the thought of being without you, nor could I bear truly being away from you. I know this is true love, and that it will last forever and a day, because I can feel it in my soul, my body, and deep in my heart."

I finished with a blink of my eyes, which sent a cold tear cascading of my eyelashes and down my cheek. Edward touched my cheek and wiped the tear away as the priest asked Jasper to step forth with the rings and hand them to us. He proceeded to say to Edward "May this ring be blessed so he who gives it and she who wears it may abide in peace, and continue in love until life's end." Edward placed the ring, a beautiful, simple golden band on my finger with slightly trembling hands and he said "With this ring I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment."

The priest then turned to Edward and said "May this ring be blessed so that she who gives it and he who wears it may abide in peace, and continue in love until life's end," as I placed the golden band upon Edwards cold finger, my heart accelerating as I touched his skin. I looked at him and said "With this ring I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment."

Soft music began to play as I said the words and the priest continued to speak. "May this couple be prepared to continue to give, be able to forgive and experience more and more joy with each passing day, with each passing year. Edward and Isabella, are now beginning their married life together, we hope that they may have loving assistance from their family, the constant support of friends, and a long life with good health and everlasting love."

"In so much as Edward and Isabella have consented to live forever together in wedlock, and have witnessed the same before this company, having given and pledged their troth, each to the other, and having declared same by the giving and receiving of a ring, I pronounce that they are husband and wife."

"You may now seal the promises you have made with each other with a kiss."

As he said this, Edward swept me into his arms, pulled me close and kissed me so gently. My knees began to quaver and I placed my arms around his neck, pulling him equally close. Too soon pulled apart, as the priest once again spoke and said "I give you, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen."

They all stepped forward, clapping and we were caught into a whirlwind of congratulations, embraces and well wishes. Everyone expressed delight at the surprise wedding.

Carlisle and Esme came forward to hug Edward and me, knowing that they had all the time in the world to congratulate us later. Alice came to give me a quick hug and winked at me. She leaned forward on her toes and whispered into my ear "Jasper and I got you a little something for tonight. Its in the bathroom, hanging on the shower door." Jasper smiled at me as well, and went to give his brother a hug. Emmet, his usual booming self proclaimed loudly that he was thrilled to have such an amusing klutz join the family, and that he was thankful for my making Edward so happy, all while holding me in a death grip hug. Rosalie simply smiled and hugged me in congratulations, yet it still touched me.

The procession slowly moved toward the dining room, where an elegant metal table was bedecked with a blue silk table cloth and set in stylist white and black china. Light dishes of food were delivered to were we all sat, the Cullens purposely taking very small portion which, when no one was watching were placed, bit by bit into the bowls at their feet. I had insisted that the dinner be skipped and there would only be a small party, yet Edward and Alice had insisted.

The dinner progressed amicably, light conversation ever present, and after and hour or so our party of twenty went into the dance room down the hall of the Pavilion and there we spent another hour or two, at one point cutting a small wedding cake and performing the traditional dance with the groom, and mine with my father. The entire night went by in a blur, and I only had eyes for Edward.

Neither of us talked unless spoken to and we silently exchanged looks throughout the entire evening. We couldn't keep our eyes of each other and constantly got lost in our gazes. I felt more alive and happy at that moment than ever, and being with Edward was the epitome of blissful.

The evening began to drag slightly as the guests began to disperse because Edward and I longed to be alone, to finally have our first moment alone as husband and wife.

I said a slightly tearful goodbye to Renee and Charlie, hugging each one tightly and whispering in their ears that I would write them. I had told them that Edward and I would be leaving in two days time for Alaska, and that the rest of the Cullens would be joining us. And it was the truth. Yet, first we had to get the Volturi out of the way, and as much as my strangely rational part had tried to deny it, I had a strange feeling of apprehension nagging at the back of my mind. I shook it off and kissed my parents one last time before they drove off.

I turned around to see that no one but Edward and myself were left standing in the foyer. To answer my unanswered question Edward said "They're staying in a hotel in Seattle for the night. They'll be back tomorrow morning before…before _they_ come and I have to bite you, but tonight we have the house to ourselves."

I smiled at him and he took me by the hand, leading me to the Mercedes which was standing alone in the parking lot. Carlisle had clearly taken the Volvo. Edward scooped me up and placed me into the passenger seat, moving to his own seat in a flash and bringing the engine to a soft rumble. In no time we were back at the Manor and Edward carried me across the threshold of the house in his arms. He carried me up the stairs, gazing lovingly at my face the entire time and sitting me down on the bed in our room.

"Do you want a human minute?" he asked silkily, and I nodded, stepping into the bathroom and looking for the shower door. Hanging there was a slightly revealing negligee made of flowing blue silk. I unfastened by wedding gown, draping it gracefully on the dresser and slipping into the negligee. I walked toward the doorway and stopped, leaning against the frame of the door.

Edward saw me immediately, sitting on the bed without his jacket or bow tie, and his shirt slightly unbuttoned. He breathed in sharply and dashed toward me, taking me into his arms and burying his head in my tresses, as he so loved to do. Whispers of "I love you" and "You're beautiful" passed from his lips in-between soft kisses along my face and neck.

I moved my head to look into his eyes and kissed him, lacing my hands through his locks, melding his body to my own and he kissed back with an urgency, love and longing in every kiss. He stroked my arms softly and placed me lightly on the bed, still kissing me all the while and I ran my hands up and down his back. Slowly, I began to unbutton his shirt and began to trace the muscles of his chest and stomach. His own, cold hands stroked my face.

"I love you," we uttered at the same time as he let me go to breathe. We smiled at each other, and Edward's swirling eyes, darker than usual, yet not black conveyed what I felt, besides love. Longing and lust. As he growled softly and pulled me into a fierce kiss, his hand beginning the task of disrobing me I let myself fall into the arms of love and forgot all about the imminent threat of the Volturi.

Tonight was our night.

**This chapter was done to offer a smooth transition into the coming chapters of conflict, and this is my personal interpretation of what would happen at the wedding. I hope you liked my take on the wedding, a mix of traditional and new, as well as my (to me) tasteful portrayal of their wedding night. I don't like depraved stories of sex, espcially in the context of applying the words 'to make love' and therefore I like to keep it clean, tasteful, and to leave some things to the imagination. Again, reviews are grand because I love feedback.**

**On my writing style - I prefer to remain dialogue light. I prefer expressing my views and what is occuring through descriptive detail, allowing the words to speak for themselves. Too much talking is over rated. If I get too wordy, I truly am sorry but my inner (future) english major has read too many classics. Modern writing with overused vocabulary bores me and I like to challenge myself and any possible readers. Also, my use of French or German may occur at times (I speak both) but I will offer translations. In this chapter, Bella said "Very big surprise, no?" **

**The next chapter...will come when it comes. Reviews are always motivating though :)**


	4. Chapter 3  Research and Strategy

Chapter 3 – Research and Strategy

The magic and beauty of the previous night, of what Edward and I had shared wore off as we woke up to the crunch of gravel in the driveway. Looking at the clock on the wall I saw it was barely seven o'clock in the morning. The rest of the Cullens had arrived and it was time to talk of the coming days strategic plans. Edward pulled me into his arms under the sheets and looked into my eyes. He had worry and anxiety etched on his face, fear tainting his eyes like a cloudy disease. Burying his face in the crook of my neck he breathed in my scent and whispered "Everything will be all right, love."

He released me grudgingly and rose to dress himself. I arose from the bed and quickly washed myself, pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Simple and practical. It did not feel like the day after their wedding, and yet it did. We were not nestled comfortably in bed, acting like the newlyweds we were, yet this seemed almost…normal. The danger, faced head on as a family. It seemed befitting of us. Yet I vowed that we would have our true honeymoon after this struggle. Because we would survive. We had to.

We walked down the stairs, hand in hand, and saw the family assembled around the dinning room table. Carlisle saw us first, rising to pull up two chairs, and the others said brief hellos. The atmosphere in the room was subdued. I had a nagging feeling once again and I voiced the thought forming in my head before I could stop myself.

"Alice saw something again, didn't she?" I looked at Alice, a look of wonder and puzzlement constructing itself on her visage. "She's good, Carlisle. I'd swear she already had a gift," said Alice. I snorted and shook my head.

"No, Alice. I've just spent a lot of time around you and I know when something is going on. And, I take that as a yes. What did you see, exactly? I assume it offers certain…complications," I finished looking fiercely around the room, daring them to keep something from me. I refused to be left in dark, having my battles fought for me and playing the part of the precious porcelain doll.

Carlisle was the first to speak, hesitating at first but then speaking to me as if I was already a vampire, as if I was already a true member of the family. "Last night we did not spend our time idly. We talked strategies and planned throughout the night, halfway through which Alice had another vision. She saw the Volturi, specifically Jane, Felix, and Caius arrive at sundown in the clearing, naught but five hundred yards away from the Pavilion. This means they know where the wedding was to be held. Coincidence, that the Pavilion should be so close to our recurring location of conflict. They are intending for us to meet them there. They know the power of Alice's vision, and at that point and time in the vision, I believe they are only coming to see Bella."

"However, there comes the complication. As soon as Bella enters the clearing, Alice's vision disappears. Completely. No glimpses of anything. Now this could mean any number of things, but we cannot risk anything. We have to have different implementations of action ready for use. They must not all be discussed, because all are unlikely compared to the reason for which I suspect that Caius is coming. I suspect Caius is also here to attempt at eradication. He cannot stand the idea of a coven which is gaining on his own in size and power. In that case we must be ready to fight."

At this point I interjected quickly. I had an idea and, if as Carlisle said this could be the case, we would need help. "Could we ask for Sam's help?" It was an idea, but I slightly senses the answer would be no. It was.

"We cannot do this. Even if Sam would consent to involve himself and the pack in a fight which is not his own, the Volturi would show no mercy if werewolves are involved. Remember Bella, they do no honor treaties between our kind and Sam's."

"In any case we need to be ready to fight. But before I go on about the strategy we will implement if such be the case, I must first talk of two factors. If they are not here to fight, Bella must still be turned or at the point of turning. Which brings up point two and the research I have been conducting over these few weeks, and which I completed last night. As Caius plans to arrive tonight, we do not have much time to turn you, Bella, as it takes 3 days for the process to complete."

"But as I said, I did some research. Using the blood of patients at the hospital, I infused samples with our venom. I observed the structure of the blood and how fast it took to change the blood to its own matter. Last night I reached an epiphany. I placed a great deal of venom into the blood, the equivalent of thirteen bite marks, and the change was complete within two hours. I believe, Bella, that if Edward bites you thirteen times the change will occur before the sun is high in the sky. It would possibly be more painful, but it is not lethal and it will ensure that you will be turned by the time Caius arrives,"

As Carlisle finished telling us this piece of news, Edward went rigid in his chair and I blanched, my stomach falling into the depths. Pain. Amplified pain. The idea alone was excruciating. Edward compulsively pulled me close and he turned to Carlisle. He began to speak fiercely, almost shouting, and beating his right fist onto the table with each breath.

"We cannot do this. What if it goes wrong? What if the pain is too much? I can't do that to Bella. I _will_ not do this! It's simply too uncertain, no one has ever been foolish enough to attempt such folly, and to subject Bella to the first attempt, even if it were to succeed is absolute –"

As he spoke I made one of the fastest decisions I had ever made. My uncharacteristic behavior streak continued with full force and I placed all my trust in Carlisle's opinion. Before anyone could stop Edward from his vehement protest, I placed a hand over his mouth and said,

"I'll do it. I trust Carlisle to make the judgment that I will survive, and to make it a fast ordeal is the key to resolving this situation."

As I finished, Edward moved as if to say something forceful to me or Carlisle, yet he changed his mind and simply rose from his seat and went into the kitchen, most likely to break something in exasperation at my behavior. Immediately, I rose as well to follow him. I could not simply sit there and while not wasting time was a prudent factor, as well as planning, I had to talk to Edward. It was simply too important, and I had to make him see that this was the best thing to do. I threw a quick, apologetic look at my family and said "We'll be right back." Carlisle nodded and Esme smiled encouragingly at me.

As I walked into the kitchen I saw Edward, his head in his hands. He spun on the spot as I moved closer and he simply stared at me. He began shaking his head fractionally, jerky movements full of pain. He began to whisper, his lips moving quickly, and I could not hear him. I moved closer and his whispered pleading reached my ears.

"Please don't do this, Bella. Please. Please, you can't…I can't loose you. What if it all goes wrong? I can't…I can barely cope with the idea of biting you in the first place, but to do it with the intention of making it faster…No, I can't do it."

I continued to move toward him, and as I closed the distance between us, Edward rushed forward and took me into his arms, gripping me tightly and continuing to whisper into my ear. I pulled my arms out of his grip and took his face in my hands. He has never reacted this strongly, so full of fear and anxiety. If he could, he would have been crying.

"Edward, you trust Carlisle, don't you?"

Edward gave a slight nod, his face still I my hands. He breathed unevenly, as if heaving sobs threatened to wreak his body. At that moment he looked truly like a scared seventeen year old boy, not a vampire, not a man. It shook my foundation to the core to see him so torn up about this. In a way it made no sense to me. I continued on, finding it difficult to keep myself from crying. But there still was only rationality, no panic.

"Carlisle knows what to do, how to do it, and there is no way this will go wrong. I trust Carlisle just as much as you know you trust him. I know it hurts you to think of it, but its for the best, and what's one dose of concentrated pain for an eternity with you? Besides that, it will resolve the situation because I will already be turned when _they _arrive."

Edward hesitated, his demeanor slowly returning to normal, yet one question lingered in his eyes. "What if…what if the blood lust is too much to take and I…and I hurt you? Thirteen bites is a lot more than three or four. I don't know if I could keep myself from –"

Again I cut him off, ending his guilty pondering and I looked him deep into his eyes, as I spoke. "Edward, you don't honestly believe that you could do that to me? With all the temptations, all the mishaps, even that first day in Biology. Not even last night," I said with a tender smile.

"Never once did you lose control, not even when you were already thirsty to begin with. I love you, and I know that you love me too much to even think of allowing yourself to lose control. I know you can do it, and the sooner we do the better. For all of us."

Edward looked at me, an undecipherable look on his face and then he kissed me as he had never before. So sweetly, so tenderly. He caressed my face, tracing every part of it with his cold fingers. There was fear and love in every movement, as if he was trying to show me how scared he was. Too soon it was over and the situation resumed its hold on us.

"You're right, Bella. It's foolish to doubt Carlisle, yet the thought of what I must do for all of us makes so afraid. I don't ever want to hurt you, yet it seems I have to," he sighed. I nodded as he spoke and he seemed to gain some composure as he said "Let's go back inside. Carlisle has a lot more to tell us before…before I must turn you. Time is prudent."

We walked back toward the dining table were the Cullens sat, just as I had left them. Carlisle was ready to continue and resumed his talking as soon as Edward and I took our seats as if nothing had occurred.

"In the extremely likely case that the lack of Alice's vision is due to a conflict, the following strategy must be implemented. We cannot risk Bella in battle as a newborn. She will have only brute force, and her chance of taking on any of our three guests, and winning, even if aided by Emmett or Jasper is too slim for us to risk. Therefore, at the slightest sign of conflict, Edward will take Bella to Seattle and board a direct flight to Italy. The tickets have already been purchased and -"

Edward began to interject at the idea of myself on a commercial airliner, as a newborn vampire writhing with blood lust, when Carlisle raised a calming hand and proceeded to speak in the same fashion as if he had not been interrupted.

"And I have made sure that the entire first class has been bought out in order to make restraining Bella easier, and to put it off as if she is suffering a non-contagious disease. This plan is incredibly necessary should a conflict arise! Bella cannot fight in a battle, but she _can_ go to Volterra with Edward and speak to Aro to inform him that Caius has broken the rules.

"Aro will not stand for such insubordination, even from his own brother, and especially not if the conflict is unprovoked. Bella cannot travel to Volterra while still human so it is necessary to turn her, and she cannot stay here once she has been turned because even if kept out of battle, the danger would be great for her."

"Meanwhile, the rest of us can certainly fight them off. It will still be six against three. Do not worry, Bella. Felix and Jane are relatively young, and therefore potentially overconfident. It will work out."

"Such a double edged sword – Bella must be turned to ensure her safety either way, yet she must go toward the lesser danger. Ah, such a predicament only our dear Bella can arouse, no?" Carlisle chuckled warmly, a fatherly tone in his voice as he pondered the situation. The talk slowly turned to battle strategies which were of no concern to me and I began to think, Edward watching me.

It certainly made sense, and while the idea of enhanced pain and of raging blood thirst surrounded by humans made beads of sweat collect on the back of my neck. Edward still seemed uneasy about the plan, yet he did not argue and seemed willing enough to place his trust in his father. I just hoped they could truly hold their own. As no one raised concerns I assumed the best, yet it would not be unlike them to attempt to deceive me in order to keep me calm. I threw a suspicious, sideways glance at Jasper, to see if he was starring at me, yet he leaned forward to engage Carlisle in a discussion about blocks and kicks.

As the discussion began to wind down once again, Carlisle cleared his throat and turned tightly toward Edward and myself. "I believe it is time to turn you, Bella. It is nine o'clock and if we begin now you will be turned before noon and you will have time to hunt for the first time before they arrive. Preparation can be made while you become accustomed,"

I swallowed a knot in my throat and nodded, squeezing Edwards hand as I rose to walk after Carlisle toward a room with its door standing open to reveal soft white walls, a hospital bed, various equipment and industrial lighting crisscrossing on the ceiling, compensating for the lack of a window.

No one deemed it prudent to speak, and I preferred the silence, as Alice and Rosalie gave me a hug and Emmett thudded me encouragingly on the back. Jasper did not approach me yet I smiled thankfully at him as a wave of soothing calm ran down my spine and penetrated deep into my bones. Esme embraced me, kissing my cheeks and whispering softly "Bella, my love. You will be perfectly fine. We will all be fine. See you in a few hours."

She smiled as Edward and I stepped into the room and the door closed behind us, leaving only myself, my husband, and Carlisle in the fluorescent room.

**Ponder the concept of the Pavilion being so close to the clearing, and the total blackout of Alice's vision. What does this imply?**

**Now, I have a question, and I require reviews to know the answer to this. I am pondering whether or not to write about the turning and Bella's first hunt, and if I do so, if I should devote and entire chapter to it, and how much detail I should place into it in general.**

**I truly mean it and I value your opinions – I know not everyone is fond of reading everyone's interpretation of the pain of the turn (more amplified through my method) and that some people really aren't down with those chapters containing the biting and the hunting in general, just like I'm not down with graphic and tasteless sex scenes. Let me know what you think, and depending on the general consensus in the next three days (two, maybe even one, if I get a lot of reviews right away, a lot meaning…five or more) I will start the next chapter. With Thanksgiving nearing an end, school will start up again, IB will continue trying to kick my ass, and I might only be able to write about twenty minutes a day (I have mock orals, projects, papers, EEs and homework to keep me nice and busy), so my updates may be further in-between each other.**

**And finally, thank you for reading my story, and thank you for reviewing. Happy belated Thanksgiving!**


	5. Chapter 4 Simultaneous Fight and Flight

Chapter 4 – Simultaneous Fight and Flight

The pain was barely there. The fire spread quickly and I felt the venom vaporize my blood and everything of myself which was human. It was a physical pain beyond what I had ever felt, beyond any pain which had ever wracked my body, yet I suppose nothing would ever hurt again after the pain I went through when Edward left me. Mind over matter.

The venom seared, yet not as potently as I had expected. I was lucid throughout the two hours. Carlisle had been right. Only two hours of a pain which I had thought to be much worse than that which I felt. I constantly expected it to become worse. I simply squirmed and grasped at the bed posts. The lack of screams concerned Edward until I gasped out "I'm fine. It doesn't…hurt as much as emotional pain…I have something to scale the pain to, and it simply…ah, feels as thought boiling water is in my veins."

I stopped due to the added pain of trying to speak. The look in Edward's eyes told me that he knew what I meant by emotional pain. I took his cold hand and brought it to my face, assuaging the searing pain of my head, and the guilt in his eyes. I knew the pain was nearing an end because my heart only beat every three minutes, and the burning in my veins began to subside.

The thought of Edward and our new future sustained me and the pain I had felt last year was nothing compared to this, most especially because I knew the pain would end, Edward would still be there and our love would still be as it had always been.

&&&

We ran toward the clearing, hand in hand to join the rest of our family. Edward had a smooth leather rucksack slung over his bag. The bag contained a sleek silver cell phone, two plane tickets to Volterra, two sets of clothing and an arsenal of credit cards. The Volvo was parked right in front of the Pavilion for a quick get away. Just in case. That just in case seemed to be inevitable. Alice has still not been able to see anything new, the future still vanishing a few moments after I entered the clearing.

As we entered the clearing, everyone became apprehensive. We were now in the dark, technically speaking. Alice turned around and said "They'll be here in one minute. After that it will take three minutes until my vision of this situation goes. As soon as whatever is going to happen happens, you'll run and get out of here. In case any of them try to stop you, we'll be ready. All right – here they come."

Three floating figures appeared over the slight hill. Caius led the small group, Jane discernable by her tiny size. As they came closer, menace was discernable in Caius face. This did not bode well and I knew that no matter what I was now, Caius had come to attempt annihilation. He stopped mid stride, five feet from Carlisle and smelled the breeze.

"Ah – I see there are none of human blood among us today. My congratulations, Isabella." He turned his face toward me as he said this, his red eyes, so disturbing to me, pierced into me. I had refused to look into a mirror until I had hinted and cleaned up. I did not desire to remember myself with those evil pupils. Now my eyes were a dark butterscotch.

Caius continued to regard me sardonically, with those cold eyes and Carlisle cleared his throat authoritatively. "I assume you have come to assure yourself that we have kept our word and that Bella had been turned. I see no other reason for you to be here and therefore think it prudent and sensible for you to depart again. We are preparing to leave for a remote location were we can desensitize Bella and where she and Edward can have their honeymoon."

Caius seemed to consider this, Jane and Felix remaining motionless all the while, every muscle tensed and alert, ready for confrontation. "See here, old friend. I do not believe this is possible. Aro and Marcus seem to consider your coven of no consequence, even after all which has occurred in the last months, yet I beg to differ. You and yours have created one too many problems for my liking, and dear Jane and Felix have come with me for this purpose – join us and our lifestyle or –"

He broke off and several things occurred simultaneously. He smelled something on the swaying August breeze which made his eyes widen in unbridled shock and he yelled "_Dogs! What are DOGS doing here?_" Emmett and Jasper tensed, assuming battle stances, their movements quickly mirrored by Alice, Esme, Rosalie and Carlisle as they sensed that the fight was about to commence.

At the same instant, Edward and I spun on the spot and began to run toward the car as Jane and Felix moved to engage in a fight, looking thoroughly confused as well as angry. They too smelled what we had smelled and as Edward and I began to run, the reason for the gapping hole in Alice's vision was suddenly and obviously explained.

Jacob, Sam, and Embry ran toward the clearing in wolf form. Jacob was running full force and did not see us, as we ran in an arc around the clearing toward the Pavilion and the car. I made as if to stop, but Edward seized my hand and shook his head and tugged me forward against my better judgment. I could barely think, and as the car came into view, I heard the unmistakable sounds of fierce battle ragging behind us, the snarls of wolves joining in with the melee of battle cries. Though Caius and his group were clearly outnumbered, their force was formidable, and my family would not have an easy time of it.

I got into the car, and Edward slid into the driver's seat, throwing the leather bag onto the bag seat while revving the engine and pulling out of the parking lot at lightning speed. Edward drove toward the interstate as if the Devil himself was chasing us and the car merged onto the wide open four lane highway. As we raced down the rain soaked street it began to pour down in torrents with which the silence of the last five minutes was broken.

"I should have known it was Jacob," I said, "He didn't know the wedding was moved and he would have wanted to see it. He must have smelled us and come toward the clearing. He most likely didn't realize I wasn't there until he reached the group, and he had no choice but to engage in combat." I sighed and Edward seized my hand.

"I hate to admit it, because it would hurt you if something happened to him, but his folly may help us win that fight. Knowing Caius and his cronies, that fight could go on for days. They'll work themselves back into the forest. Since we don't tire, it could well be there case, and therefore all the better that we go to see Aro," said Edward.

"Will they be all right?" I whispered. Edward nodded, although strained. The risks were great, but Caius was outnumbered and even if the fight went on, the Cullen Coven had nothing, if not a family of excellent fighters. Yet, it was a fight nonetheless, and one which needed a larger solution than simply defeating Caius or Jane. Aro had to intervene, even if Caius perished. It was only reasonable for Aro to help them, seeing as Caius was in all terms of the word, breaking the rules. The Cullens had done nothing but good, had not intervened where they should not, and as I knew, they had no desire to attempt to over throw the Volturi.

My thoughts strayed from the fight which was playing itself out in my imagination and turned toward the problem facing me at the moment. The flight. "Edward, I realize first class is bought our to make it safer for me to fly, but how will you keep me pinned down for seventeen hours? Much more important – how will I make it through the airport?"

At this Edward smiled, which I though irrational, due to the serious nature of my queries. He turned to face me, disconcerting as we were speeding along at 150mph, and he laughed, his eyes truly happy. "Remember those five minutes during your turn when I left? Well, I had an idea and decided to make a few phone calls. I called the airline and sold them back the seats – its summer and there will be last minute people going. I made it out to be a credit card mistake and they were happy enough to take them back and reimburse me." He smiled and turned his eyes back on the road.

"I then called an old friend from my…renegade days of a non vegetarian diet. He is a great man, a vampire, who has since given up human blood. He has an affinity for all things airborne and has agreed to fly us to Italy and back in his private jet. I did not want to expose you to such danger, nor did I want to expose the humans on board to danger. This is a great alternative and I think it will relieve your worries."

He couldn't have been more right. It lifted the worry off me, though the weight of the worry of everything else remained, and my eyes reacted as if to fill with tears at his thoughtfulness. This was such a large part of why I loved him so terribly. "Thank you," I whispered and he moved his body, while still driving, to kiss me sweetly.

In next to no time we arrived at the private airport and as we parked the car within the vicinity of the plane where a tall man stood with an umbrella, the rain ceased. We stepped out of the car, Edward grabbing the leather bag, and we moved toward the man standing in front of the sleek ten passenger jet plane. "Bella, this is Massimo," said Edward and Massimo smiled, raising a hand in acknowledgement. "He will be flying us to Italy, incidentally his country of origin. Let's go. There's no time to waste. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back home,"

We stepped into the airplane, Massimo moving to the cockpit, and I sat down on Edward's lap as the airplane hummed to life and we began to roll down the runway. As the airplane took to the air Edward began to stroke my hair and I became lost in though, my worries intermingling with memories of my first hunt. Exhilarating, adrenaline pumping, and the gush of warm liquid of a doe, which to me tasted woody and aromatic, like a scent taken in through the mouth.

A comfortable silence spread over us, and I remained lost in though, half worried half happy. It was a strange feeling, one making me guiltier than the next, yet I felt at peace and I embraced the calm that we still had. The next task in front of us would be difficult.

&&&

I am so sorry for the delay. I have been having a crazy week. First, my mother's office building caught on fire, then the apartment building got flooded, and then my computer started doing weird crap. Its been crazy, and add school to the equation and the fact that I just got an ipod to which I'm uploading music like crazy (or trying to between…bouts of laptop crap) has made everything hectic and I've barely found time to do anything else. So, forgive me. Also, I am leaving December 19th and do not plan on spending my Europe vacation writing or on the computer, so I may be able to write one more chapter amidst all this before I leave. I hope this isn't too disappointing, but I have major stuff to juggle right now what with orals, IA's and studying. I can promise there won't be more than…a month…between updates.

**I hope you find the time to review for me. I'm new at this so I don't really know what to expect in terms of reviews, yet I see stories with ten chapters and two thousand reviews. I don't care what alley your critique comes from - I desire feedback, good or bad! I'm beginning to get the feeling that I seem to be writing this for myself - which to me means I might as well stop. If you don't like something in the story, tell me so I can improve! I am not adverse to criticism, as long as its constructive! I think that after two more chapters, if I have received less than ten comments (per chapter) I will discontinue the story and possibly even delete it. Before I had an account, I used to review stories through a friend's account or anonymously where I could, even when I was busy because it only takes a few seconds. I would really appreciate it, if I were to receive more recognition.**

Now, story elements time. Again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and my take on the turning of Bella. I wanted to inform everyone that from now on, every other chapter will be someone else's point of view, more specifically one of the Cullens (or Jacob…if you want) to recount the fight. I want all aspects of the story covered. So I want suggestions for who this should be. Emmett? Alice? Jacob? You tell me, and I will take the most popular choice, but only if there's enough input on the matter.

Sorry about the OC, but he's not really involved so I can excuse it…he isn't an integral part of the story – he just flies planes.

That's all. XOXO Anne-Sophie


	6. Author's Note

I am truly sorry that there have been no updates. I know it sounds like a bunch of excuses, but school took a major toll on me and consumed all my time. I was sick, and the last week has been super hectic with packing for the trip. I'll be back in the States around January 10th, but I cant promise anything until the weekend of the 18th, because as soon as I get back I have exams to take. For those of you who read and like my story, I'm truly sorry about breaking my promise, and I wish I could have updated with another chapter before Christmas.

**Merry Christmas (Happy Holidays to all the non-christmasers) and a Happy New Year!**

Anne-Sophie aka AsthamticVampire


	7. Chapter 5 The Battle Part 1

Chapter Five – The Battle Part 1

Jasper's Point of View

The moment Caius stopped to sniff the breeze I cursed silently, engaging in a combat stance. Behind myself, I felt my family do the same and the dissipation of Edward's and Bella's scents in the fluttering breeze told me they had gotten away and were on their way to Italy. Jacob, Embry, and Sam, so perceptible by their smell and the reaction it had elicited from Caius, ran up behind us. Jacob morphed back to his human form and tackled me as the fight broke out behind me. Why he had gone for me, I did not know, yet I cursed once more as I saw the fight from the corner of my eye and itched to join. At least Sam and Embry had joined our side of the fight, obvious to see, as Sam had double teamed with Emmett in his fight against Jane.

"Where is Bella!? I don't smell her!! _Where is she??_" Jacob was the essence of fury, and this first thing I did was attempt to calm him down. Cool, calm and collected thoughts, feelings of rationality emanating from my core trickled down my aura and transfused into that of Jacob. Immediately his muscles slackened and we walked a few steps away from the fight. Jacob's eyes raged with the fury of knowing why he felt so calm and that he could do nothing to change it. If this weren't happening right now, I would be exerting my power on Caius and his cronies, but I cannot emanate multiple feelings, and calm wouldn't't be the thing to use right now.

"Edward and Bella went to Volterra to tell Aro that Caius is acting the rouge and to force him to intervene. We saw Caius coming, but your presence here blocked out the rest of the vision, and we don't know how this will end thanks to you. Why did you come here in the first place?"

Jacob growled deep in his throat and spat out the words, "To see Bella married. After all I was invited. And what the hell are you playing at sending Bella to Volterra – they'll kill her as soon as she comes because she isn't one of you…yet."

I dreaded what I was about to tell the dog, because I could sense the fury it would unleash, but I had to get him to get a grip and help us or go away, and the only way to do that was to get the truth out, or he would simply morph and tear me to shreds in anger. "When Alice had her vision last night Bella and Edward decided to change the rehearsal dinner into the wedding. And, Bella is not human any longer. She was turned this morning, with a newer, quicker method in order to make it possible for her to travel to Volterra with Edward."

He seemed to be struck dumb, his mouth gapping, all anger ebbing from his body, replaced by a heartbreaking sorrow which nearly made me cry out in pain. Jacob was devastated, his love for Bella still there, no anger to be felt. Just sorrow. Raw, unadulterated sorrow pulsated through his very being and I worked quickly to divert him from his state of shock, yet I could not bring myself to change or influence his emotions. It seemed like a cardinal sin in this instance and I worked to distract him by urgently speaking to him of the situation. My forced restraint at quelling the pain his emotions were causing **me** caught him off guard and he listened to my whispered explanations.

"We had to act fast and we had to be ready. I'm truly sorry we couldn't't let you know, but time did not allow for it and I hate to be so urgent, but unless you have gone blind, deaf, and senseless, there is a major fight going on just yards away. More explanations can be given later, but for now, shall we tip the odds a little more to our favor?"

I didn't hesitate and moved toward the battle, and Jacob followed me. Carlisle, Esme, and Embry were hard pressed keeping Caius at bay. I flinched inwardly. Their isolated fight, ten yards away from the two other groups was not going as I hoped. Carlisle and Esme had perfect fighting form, Embry matched to their attacks, yet Caius with centuries of experience in the art of combat presented such a challenge that it took three supernatural creatures to simply keep him at bay and attempt the occasional blow. It was simply frustrating to see the futile lunges and the endless circling.

Emmett and Sam were having better progress with Jane, even though they were only two to one. Jane looked harrowed and hard pressed to keep them at bay. I sensed a great deal of angry surprise emanating from her being. It seemed to me that dearest Jane had underestimated the fighting power of our 'coven' and our unexpected reinforcement. I allowed myself a brief feeling of smugness as I saw Emmett lunge at Jane in a fashion which I taught him, and I whooped out loud as his action placed a deep gash on Jane's right arm, leaving her to fight with one arm.

Jacob morphed once more and ran toward Emmett and Sam, engaging in the fight. As Jane caught sight of yet another fighter I could feel the sheer fury exploding within her, yet what concerned me, and made me realize this fight would not end quickly – she was not distracted from her fighting, and from all three of our foes I could feel a renewed resolve. They were not simply strong in a physical sense. Their will power was that of a ruthless killer with the ultimate resolve.

At that moment I ceased wasting time and I ran toward the spot in the clearing where Rosalie and Alice were engaging Felix in a fight. Immediately I helped Alice in an attempt to close Felix's arms behind his back so that Rosalie could have a clean shot at him. It proved to be difficult because Felix was as lithe and quick as a newborn, his movements often nothing less than a blur.

Alice danced around him in order to confuse him. Her graceful, deceptive movements put Felix of guard and while robbed of her gift due to the presence of the dogs, she still had her perceptive senses. She lunged as he feinted in her direction and she grasped and wrenched his arm from its socket, eliciting a cry of pain as I had rarely heard it before in my life. The dismembered limb flew in an arc through the breezy autumn air and landed on the other side of the clearing. As Felix heaved breaths while still fighting back, I perceived that Jane and Caius had noticed what Alice had done. They moved to the back of the clearing, to move us into the foods, and to move closer to Felix's arm, which lay like a zombie's, scrabbling in the wild grass and leaves.

"Darling, I think I've taught you one too many tricks over the years. What you did to our dear opponent is bordering on gruesome. If I wasn't so proud of you, I would be shocked that such a seemingly delicate creature could do such a thing," I smirked at Alice, kissing her on the cheek as she breezed by and with an appreciative giggle continued to kick and block alongside myself and Rosalie. Even Rosalie had to crack a smile at what I had said, yet Felix remained stoic in his one armed fight. If it was possible for our kind to look any paler than our alabaster tint, Felix had achieved. The pain had not weakened him, for he fought as ferociously as before, yet he had turned almost pure, cotton white. Also, his face was not pained…it was annoyed?

"What is so disconcerting to you, dearest Felix? Is it not what you hoped? Trying to annihilate a perfectly peaceful coven of vampires? We are formidable too, yes, but we mean you no harm. We did not try to do anything to your precious Volturi. We minded our business. Tell me, why?" I asked between strikes at his abdomen and chest.

"This was never my idea. I only came along because Jane did. She loves Caius. More so than she loves me. I go where she goes. Caius is here because he has gone mad with old age. It has made him paranoid and power hungry. Marcus and Aro remained normal for their age. I don't know what caused him to snap, but there was no deterring him from the idea that you Cullens posed a threat," gasped Felix between attempted blocks. He was more hard pressed than ever to keep the three of us at bay.

"So we are here, about to kill you because Caius is a crazed fool? What foolish waste!" barked Rosalie as she placed a bloodless gash on Felix's remaining forearm. He gasped out in pain and spoke once more. "As I said, I go wherever Jane goes. If it were not for this I would not be here. I see no reason to fight you."

"Yet you continue to fight as we speak! Why? Give up and we will let you live, let you regenerate!" I said softly to him. His face lit up, then dimmed again with gloom. "I could never leave Jane, and she would never leave Caius. Even if I left, I would be betraying the Volturi and I would die anyways." The fight slowed slightly as these words passed his lips. The others, fighting Jane and Caius did not notice that we had almost stopped fighting entirely. This was slowly turning into a peace talk. Or so I thought.

"Edward and Bella have gone to Aro with the purpose of telling him what Caius has done. If you surrender now, you will not have to die, and Aro will pardon you. I am sure of it," I urged him.

He pondered this for a second, and then shook his head. "They will not make it in time, and even if, I highly doubt Aro will intervene. I cannot risk it. I shall die either way, and to be a traitor to the Volturi. I leave you no choice but to kill me, I think. Because we all know bonds cannot hold our kind. Even if you were to not burn the pieces, if I were to regenerate, pardoned by Aro, Jane would certainly be gone. I cannot live with this thought. It's quite a romantic concept, is it not?" he asked.

I could not believe the words coming from his mouth. So irrational. So unlike a Vampire. So very like what I would do at the prospect of being without Alice. Very much like what Edward and Bella would do. I started to voice another protest when Felix began to attack once more. He was leaving us no choice. My heart sank, and Alice and Rosalie looked horrified, yet we had to act. Mad with frenzy, Felix attacked ferociously. He struck out, more wildly than calculated. By sheer dumb luck he twisted his foot behind Alice's leg and dug a deep groove into her forearm. I howled with fury as she recoiled in pain.

Fueled by my fury I forgot everything except my martial training. I attacked him, wielding my arm as if it was a sword and as I punched through his entire chest, Rosalie came from behind and with one kick, she dislodged his head from its anchor. I withdrew my arm from Felix's motionless torso. His scattered parts lay like the rocks they truly were and I moved to retrieve his arm. Rosalie put a hand on my shoulder as I began to walk. "Go tend to Alice. I'll do it."

I nodded and sighed. Felix needed to be burned right away. If he reassembled, he would fight us again. As I walked toward Alice she smiled at me. Waving her arm at me she trilled "Silly Jasper. Looking so morose and worried. I'm not a mortal dearest. I'm almost healed. He didn't get me as bad as it looked."

And indeed, her arm only had a slightly white line, as if she was a human who had scratched herself to prove she was dehydrated. I smiled ruefully, but nonetheless I told her to sit for a while. One opponent was dead, but Jane and Caius were holding strong. We had been fighting for over three hours. It was darkest night, yet our supernatural vision made it seem like day.

The fight had moved deep into the forest, each fight isolated by trees and shrubbery. Alice, Rosalie and I would be going to relieve someone or to simply join another fight. We would tip the odds in our favor yet it would still be hard. It was a good thing we did not tire, because Caius did not include the term 'time-out' in his vocabulary. The plane Edward had arranged would be halfway over the Atlantic by now – it was an exceptionally fast machine.

In fact, the fastest plane ever built with a capacity of reaching Italy in six hours. I calculated that, if they landed in Siena they would be in Volterra within twenty minutes. It was a mountainous fifty kilometer road from Siena to Volterra, yet Edward could cover that distance in such a short time. Dusk had been at eight, and they would be in Volterra at half past eight in the morning. The sun would not be in the city yet, and there was a passage at the base of the Etruscan ruins which led into the Palazzo dei Priori.

They would not be seen and they could get out before ten. If everything went right. But Alice assured me that Aro would see reason and would return with Edward and Bella. More than that she could not see yet. But before then, we had a lot to do. This did not look easy. I just hoped Edward and Bella were having an easier time of it.

**I am back smile Europe was terrific, and some of you may like to know, my family and I took a side trip to Volterra. Therefore my knowledge about the roads and the Palazzo is from first hand experience. It was a beautiful place, but I discovered there is no fountain in the Piazza dei Priori. The Palazzo is the perfect setting for the Volturi though, because it's actually something of a prison which isn't open to the public. It's extremely beautiful, as I said.**

**I hope you liked the chapter. It took some work, and I'm sorry if it seemed dumb. I've never written anything to do with fighting, and it may have seemed strange. I did my best to portray Jasper's point of view, and the next chapter will be Bella's point of view again. Please tell me if this chapter sucked…**


	8. Author's Note 2

I regret to inform my readers that I am, as of now, on indefinite hiatus. Things are getting to be worse than crazy. I have IB projects in every class, tons of homework, and in general too much to do school relatedly. Also, I'm applying for a job, which I desperately need because I need to get a hold of money for a car, which is becoming ever more necessary due to my teachers ridiculous demands and their purposeful pairing of people in group projects who live half a world apart and don't own a car yet. I need to balance school and imminent work with home life (cleaning, family, trying to exercise) and general IB stuff (such as staying on top of my A game for French and starting my EE), and I just cannot guarantee that I will find any time to write because I'll be so busy.

I really feel terrible doing this, but these things take priority, and I tend to think that not a lot of people will even care, since they can't even find the time to review. I'll take this opportunity to vent on that a bit. This place exists for budding writers and constructive criticism. I always try to review for the stories I read (which isn't a lot these days since I'm so strapped for time) and I know for a fact that the ten reviews I've received are out of proportion to the 1402 people who have read this story. I would occasionally like to know what people think so I can fix things they don't like. But, its not like this will matter anyways. Again, I'm sorry about my necessity to go on hiatus, but thats life 'and it ain't ever fair boy. And you know it.'

Anne-Sophie


	9. Chapter 6 Volterra

Chapter Six – Volterra

Bella's POV

The flight went by quickly, with the sky getting progressively lighter as the plane sped across the early morning sky. I was watching the changing tint of the clouds, their reflection playing across the windows of the plane, changing from grey to fusia, and then to a light pink. The whole while, Edward sat passively, continuously stroking my hair as I was deeply immersed in thought. For the past half hour of our exceptionally rapid flight I had been thinking of how we would confront the problem ahead and I could no longer repress my thoughts.

"What if this goes wrong Edward? I can't get the thought out of my head, the possibility that Aro will simply laugh at us and strike us down. This just all seems too easy – to walk into Volterra, as members of a Vampire clan which does not follow their lifestyle and has caused one too many problems, then to leave and have Caius terminated or removed. I just can't shake this foreboding feeling that something is going to go wrong, and to be honest, I'm scared Edward."

I had twisted around in his lap and looked directly into his eyes as I said this, so as not to miss a nuance of his feelings, to catch any misgiving, and to make sure he couldn't keep anything from me. He seemed to realize what I was trying to do and pulled my head onto his shoulder. My reaction came in a flash of annoyed fury – I ripped myself out of his grasp, planting my feet firmly on the floor, crossing my arms and stared him dead in the eyes.

"Don't you dare lie to me Edward Cullen. I am your wife, and I damn well deserve the courtesy of knowing what you're thinking, and what is going on. I want an honest answer about what we should expect, seeing as we're about to land in Siena. I don't like surprises, and the last time I checked I am now a vampire, so please, spare me the porcelain plate treatment. Why are you laughing?" I finished with a furious shout, my blind fury escalating as I saw Edward break into a fit of laughter.

"I can't decide whether you're adorable or simply hot when you get angry like that. Maybe I should find a way to get you that riled up, because when this is all over, I wouldn't pass up some more of that. You're so beautiful when you get flustered like that."

"I'm being serious Edward," I barked, "I want you to be honest to me about our chances. **Everyone's **chances."

"I'm being serious too, Bella. And the fact that I'm laughing and thinking of what I want to do with you when we're done with all this should tell you that I think we'll make it all in one piece and that nothing will happen beyond the destruction of a rogue Volturi."

"Yes, but don't you see my problem? You lie to me too easily when it comes to my safety. I don't know if I can believe you when it comes to this, and the fact that my being angry and annoyed is amusing to you is of no consolation whatsoever."

I had calmed down slightly but I was still on my feet, breathing hard from the excitement, as Edward stood up as well and pulled me into his arms, taking my head in his hand and looking deeply into my eyes.

"I couldn't keep anything from you. Not anymore. I kept things from you before, when you were still human, because I didn't want you to get hurt, but now I know better. You showed so much strength in the last days, even while still human. How could I lie to you? I am being honest when I say that Aro will believe us and help us. The dogs may prove a problem, unless we tell Aro in advance and let him know. Aro is the more understanding of his brethren, and may see sense in our allegiance. He may even…find it funny. But I promise you, whatever may happen, we will come out of it whole and unharmed."

As I looked into his eyes I knew he was telling me the truth, hiding nothing, and as I came to this realization (belatedly I realized how…childish my outburst had been, yet it never hurts to know what your husband is thinking in actuality) Edward kissed me and the plane made a perceptible change in altitude, gearing toward a landing in the airport that was now visible below us. Sienna, was dreary and gray today – it was raining. A blessing to us, even though the sun would not reveal itself in Volterra for several hours.

Edward released me and we both took our seats (a mere human habit for me) as the plane began to land. As soon as the wheels skidded onto the tarmac, Edward and I jumped to our feet, Edward grabbing is bag. As we exited the small craft Edward shouted a thank you to Massimo, reasserting we would see him in a few short hours, and we slid into the waiting Lamborghini Countach, a vivid shade of blue. As Edward revved the engine and sped from the private tarmac he looked at me and said "You really do look quite ravishing when you're annoyed or angry. It almost looks like you're blushing, and your eyes become utterly irresistible." I giggled and smiled, kissed him deeply and then, with flashing eyes told him to keep his eyes on the road. Edward simply smiled at me and stepped on the gas.

* * *

The last of the winding mountain road leading up to the steep entrance into Volterra came to an end as Edward slid the Countach into a typically narrow parking spot; next to the road where the car was parked stood a debilitated abbey, closed off to the public, which would provide us a passage with cover from the sun on the way back out of the ancient fortressed city. As of right now, it was still raining, a grey sky with meek, and dreary looking clouds dispersed throughout.

We stepped out of the car and walked at a brisk pace, dashing the seven hundred and fifty yards to the Plaza dei Priori. It was a Sunday, yet another blessing in disguise – the whole town was at morning Mass, a way of life in this old Italian town, The plaza was utterly deserted and it made us all the more conspicuous to the rather inconspicuous Volturi guard standing at the entrance of the Palazzo dei Priori (at least to human eyes). The old building, off limits to all but the highest Italian officials was the perfect place for our...brethren, sitting regally as a visual monument to tourists. Underground jail cells, more reminiscent of an old palace room system, access to the secret passage way out of the city, and an overall fitting sentiment belonging to more sinister vampires belonged to the Volturi's domain.

The guard rose to his feet and beckoned us to walk up the stairs, silently unbolting the heavy door and simply resealing the door behind us as we walked through into a windowless hall of immense proportions. We stood silently, holding hands and waited for someone to arrive. The protocols seemed instantaneous and quite obvious, so much so that we knew to wait in the hall.

"I guess we really stick out like a sore thumb in every way. The guy didn't even flinch – just let us in and that was it. Our kind can't hide from those who are just like us, it would seem. Let's just hope they don't keep us waiting too long. We don't have forever."

As I said this and Edward snorted a laugh, a young woman, older than myself by just a few years walked in with clicking heels which reverberated upon the famous marble flooring of the region. "They're ready for you. Apparently they have been expecting you for a few hours. The whole place is in uproar because Caius and two of our best are gone…and the 'famous' Cullens seem to be involved. At least that's what I heard. They don't tell me much…I wish they did."

The girl kept talking to herself as we followed her lead down to the lower levels, all the while pondering whether they would change her, and Edward and I simply bestowed her with a pitying look. So naïve, so eager for eternal damnation. As I thought this, I felt a stab. Had I not been exactly the same? No, I told myself, my reasons had been different, nothing close to her idealization of the evil Volturi. I sighed deeply as we reached the final doorway before the grand hall which was quite familiar to me, even after having spent such a short time there.

The girl departed, her click-clacking heels fading away across the long marble hallway. The door opened, as if of its own accord and Edward and I stepped through it to be met with the view of Aro and Marcus, sitting upon their throne-esque seats, surrounded by their, for lack of a better word, minions.

"Edward and Isabella! What a pleasant occurrence to have you here with us. Yet, it is not of any surprise to any of us, regarding the circumstances which have supposedly brought you here to us. Caius really needs to find a way to control his paranoid ravings. You would think all our money and age would help him to find some outlet for his eternal boredom."

I was incensed with a new wave of rage and spoke before thinking "So you knew what Caius was up to and didn't think it necessary to put a stop to it? I expected a great deal of things from your kind but not this."

"Calm yourself, Isabella. You seem troubled. The change seems to have made you quite combustive. Do you really believe that we would let Caius do something without trying to stop it? We knew he had gone somewhere, yet we did not know exactly where. Would you not agree that it would seem foolish to run after him in hundreds of directions, and that it was much prudent to confirm our belief in your arrival?"

If I could have blushed at that moment, I would have. I bowed my head and murmured an apology. Aro and Marcus both laughed like merry old men sharing a joke and Aro replied between chuckles that "it's quite alright, Isabella." For some reason, Edward seemed pleased, and I could see why – I was charming these immortal men with my mishaps, and they already seemed on our side.

Edward waited a few moments until their laughter subsided and then spoke. "Forgive my bluntness in the matter, Aro, Marcus, yet time is not on our side at the moment. If you already know the circumstances, you must know what we are here to ask of you, and you most likely have deduced that the rest of our family is engaged in a fight with Caius. It is unfortunate, yet we had no choice."

"Unfortunate. Yes, that it is indeed. Caius always was the most unstable of the group, and while we think of him as our brother, and will do our best to, as you say, bring him in alive, we realize his foolish actions and are prepared to come to your aid…"

Edward and I smiled at one another and looked graciously toward Aro as he finished his sentence, "…if you tell us the truth about why our newly acquired guard, with the same power as your sister, Alice, cannot see Caius, or any of your family. The truth or you will receive neither aid, nor an unhindered departure from our Palazzo."

I took in a huge breath of air as he said this, and Edward stiffened beside me. Would the truth be just as bad as a lie, or simply saying nothing? As we hesitated, Aro smiled graciously and added "We have time."

**Wow. Its been quite a long time since I last wrote a chapter. I had that itch to write and took the opportunity while I had a lull in my homework amount. However I cannot promise that I will reprise regular updates. IB/AP exam season is fast approaching and I will hopefully get a job soon (I really need one so I can start driving my new car, whose name is Emmett - a silver Honda CR-V from 1997) and I have the SAT again in June, as well as a huge research paper over the summer. If I have time to write and have the urge I will do so, but I can't promise anything, yet I am not stopping the story. I really am sorry to those of you that like my story, that I've kept you waiting for so long, but the last few months really have been more than busy. Please forgive me!**

**And, I'm sorry about the cliff hanger...I have no right to be devious at this point, but I just wanted to do the situation justice, which required a cliff hanger. I hope you liked the chapter, and that it was worth the wait. The chapter from Jasper's point of view was more than likely a 'one time deal'. From hereon I plan on just Bella's POV, and maybe one chapter with alternating POVs, but I don't want to give away too much. Please review, and I promise to get you the new chapter as soon as possible yet still have it be my quality of writing. Lets hope for all of our sakes that it won't be another three months until I get another chapter written.**

**Love, Anne-Sophie**


	10. Chapter 7 The Truth Shall Set You Free

* * *

**See, I promised an update in less than a month! I'm thinking one or two more chapters so this will finally be done. I have a lot on my plate right now - a job, school is ending (which is always stressful), a 4,000 word research paper over the summer, the beginning stages of a design project over the summer, my sister is coming in July, I have colleges to apply to and financial aid to get, and I still want to try and have some fun before I turn 18 in September (!!). And I want to focus more on reading than writing. I just got the Host, and I want to re-read Twilight and New Moon before my special edition of Eclipse comes, and then obv. Breaking Dawn comes out. AND I'm reading Ayn Rand over the summer as well. Yeah, I have a lot to do, and it just doesn't seem worth it to me to write fanficiton with everything I have going, especially since my six chapters which over 5000 people have read according to my stats only have 19 reviews. Pretty disappointing, and it makes you not want to write. I can't help but be disappointed. And my one-shot had been read by over 1000 people, with no reviews at all. Lack of feedback means lack of motivation, so the fanfictions I had planned including one for the Host, as well as a sequel to Questionable Sunrise are pretty pointless to me. Thank you for reading though. At least people are reading, even if they don't review, as disappointing as that may be.**

* * *

Chapter Seven – The Truth Shall Set You Free

Bella POV

The thoughts which ran through my head following Aro's stipulation came in a burst, setting of a chain reaction of rapid thoughts. Yet, just like the time when Tyler's van came at me and almost flattened me, time did not speed up à la movie cliché; rather it slowed down to where I could think clearly in a short matter of time. I was sure Edward was doing the same, yet I did not know if he was following my train of thought. As I though feverishly, I kept hearing blips of what I took to be errant thoughts which butted into my pondering, bits and pieces about the situations which did not seem to be mine. I ignored it and continued to think of the consequences of either action.

I could not bear the idea of betraying Jacob and the pack, yet could I lie and have my own family killed? If we lied, they would find out about the pack in any case and kill them too. Lying seemed out of the question, yet giving up the pack seemed worse than dying…Frustrated and at a loss for what to do, I wished I could consult Edward, yet doing so in front of Aro and Marcus would just give us away. I wanted to know what to do, needed Edward's help to ascertain whether being truthful would be best?

'_I think so, yes. Lying never gets you anywhere.'_

If blood had been in my veins it would have frozen cold in shock, as that one, lone thought rang clearly through my, in Edward's rich, flowing voice. My jaw dropped in shock as I looked at Edward and to make sure I wasn't going crazy, I immediately responded in a firmly formatted thought.

'_I love you, Edward.'_

'_I love you too. This…this is amazing. I do not know how this is possible, or why it did not happen until now. All I know is that this is amazing. I was thinking desperately of what to do and I kept hearing thoughts that weren't my own, only fragments, and I thought they were Aro's…until I heard my name in your voice. At first I thought you had spoken, yet your voice echoed so deeply in my head I knew I was hearing your thoughts. I don't understand why we can suddenly talk to each other this way, but I have never felt closer to you.'_

'_Oh, Edward, I love you so much. Nothing could have meant more to me than this connection. I feel so much your equal, so close to you. It is an indescribably heart wrenching feeling. But why is this happening, and why now?''_

'_Why is this happening? Well those are questions to be answered at another time. For right now, the decision at hand – I think we should tell the truth. If we lie, and in the unlikely case that Aro does not yet know the truth, he will find out eventually and it will simply result in the death of us all. I have a feeling that telling the truth is not just a good idea, but that Aro will be amused. He has a…unique…sense of humor.'_

'_I agree, but what if he goes back on his word…he just seems so unstable to me. And what if he kills the pack? I couldn't live with that Edward. And I most definitely could never live with knowing I caused harm to come to my own family because of my actions.'_

'_Aro will stay true to his word, but don't you dare even think of ever possibly blaming yourself for something over which you have no control! Don't you dare…'_

Our silent conversation was cut short by an amused chuckle. My head snapped up to look at Aro who was looking at us with bemused eyes.

"You know, it's rude to talk about someone behind their back, or well behind their mind I should say. It pleases me to see how strong you truly are Isabella, and how strong the bond with your singer is, Edward, but let's play fair. Otherwise I will have to take your refusal as a forfeit and a lie by omission, and you know what that would mean."

Aro had no malevolence in his eyes, simply bemused interest, as he regarded Edward and me, standing demurely at his feet. Edward sighed, looked at me as I nodded, and began to tell the long story of our involvement with the pack. He left no detail out; looking at Aro the entire time he was recounting our encounters with Jacob and the rest of the Quileute boys, Alice's inability to see their presence in her visions, the pack's part in the Newborn encounter, and my relation to Jacob (which Edward discussed without jealousy, a personal observation which made my heart swell with love for my husband and his devoted trust in my own love for him).

All the while I looked at Aro, gauging his reactions. His expression was now one of deepest interest; Marcus occasionally leaned over to whisper imperceptibly into his ear, eliciting long, drawn out nods from Aro as he contemplated the questions. As Edward finished the story where Jacob, Sam, and Embry joined the fight against Caius, and continued to silently regard Aro, only moving to place his hand over mine.

For a long minute Aro simply sat thinking, seeming to mull something over in his ancient mind. As the seconds dragged by, the tick-tock of the giant clock on the wall reverberating off the archaic marble floor with a deep, rich tenor that seemed to go beyond the simple sound of passing time, I grew increasingly anxious. The methodical and timely swing of the pendulum to me seemed a countdown to a decision…one which could cost us our life. I heard a soft whisper in my head, Edward's voice soothing my thoughts, trying to reassure me, as Aro broke in raucous laughter.

He laughed for what seemed like an eternity, his insane cackle bouncing madly of the walls in a frenzied echo, giving the room a feel as if he were everywhere and everything in the room. The feeling was haunting, the unchanging laughter, always the same staccato of uncontainable mirth, terrifying in its monotonous insanity. The echo continued long after Aro ceased laughing, and as silence finally settled over the ancient marble hall he turned his attention sharply to us.

"Never, in my long time on this earth have I heard such an entertainingly hilarious story. Werewolves and vampires working together to take out a maddened vampire out for revenge. How you can stand the stench I cannot fathom, yet that thought alone will give me due cause to laugh for centuries to come. They amuse me, these werewolves. Especially young Jacob Black; such an impetuous young man. Quick to chomp at the bit and slow to think of his actions. It also amuses me to see you had 'competition', Edward. You earned your singer's love – nothing worth having is easily attained, or so the saying goes."

Edward and I began to relax, taking deep breaths as Aro continued to talk with a smile on his face. He seemed sincere; his watery eyes fiercer than I had ever seen them, earnest in their evocation of honesty. Aro continued to speak as we relaxed ever so slightly, bit by bit.

"Your family has always fascinated me, Edward, and not simply because of your way of life. I am gratified that you have chosen to confide in me the truth which I have already known, long before Caius ever did, as it seems he only found out when he attacked. Thank you for your honesty, and your trust, yet even if you had lied…you rivet my attention too greatly and I would never do anything to bring you or yours harm. In all honesty, as much as I covet the idea of having such strong beings among my court as you and your family, I could never bring myself to force you, let alone have you killed. The Cullens are simply too fascinating. As are your hairy friends. I should like to meet them, if they would feel so obliged. Just a formality. No intentions of malice at all. Of course, after we take care of Caius. All his many years have not made him any less impetuous, and his paranoia has not helped the issue. More impatient than Jacob Black, if I dare say so"

Aro sighed, smiling almost sadly down at us. He rose, Marcus following suit, and as he turned down the hall in the direction we had come he beckoned us to join him. I walked, numbed with relief and gratitude, completely unaware of the conversation Aro and Edward were carrying on except for the fact that Edward was offering our plane and that Aro agreed. I followed blindly, simply thinking of our good fortune and getting into the car next to Edward as Aro, Marcus, and an unknown (at least to me) Volturi guard slid soundlessly into the Lamborghini. Edward put the car into gear and grabbed my hand as we sped down the mountain, back to Siena, back to Massimo and the airplane. Only one more challenge lay ahead of us…how easily would Caius give up, and what would come afterwards? And so I continued to think, sitting wordlessly in the plane as it took of it a pouring, grey sky, heading westward, heading home.

**I hope you liked this new chapter, and like I said, there will be one or two more chapters, and then fin. Please review if you can and let me know how you like it. Also, if you have any ideas for the last two chapters let me know. I like ideas, and I don't bite.**

**Anne-Sophie a.k.a. AsthmaticVampire**


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